Free Shipping

Over $125
Our Services

Learn More

 chevron_left chevron_right

English Paper Piecing - Double wedding ring style!

curved piecingdouble wedding ring quiltdwrenglish paper piecingeppepp templatesEQ7hand sewingMini quiltModern quilt guildSan Antonio Modern Quilt GuildTula Pink
A picture of a quilt with the same pattern as it.

Good morning!  So many milestones going on in our household this week--our little girl turned 6 months last week (How has it already been half a year???) I celebrated my first mother's day, started the baby on her first solid foods, and it's my husband's birthday this week.  Needless to say, it's been super busy, and I feel like I've been to the grocery store almost every day this week.  Do they give frequent flier miles for multiple grocery store trips in one day?  I should also mention we live 12 miles from the nearest grocery store...  I'm sure you can relate to the feeling that you're flying by the seat of your pants on household chores and checklists.  Laundry, dishes, etc., etc., but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

One of the many reasons I love English Paper Piecing is the opportunity to slow down and enjoy the process of hand sewing.  I also love combining multiple parts of the sewing and design process and planning out a project from start to finish.  There is something so satisfying in making something completely from start to finish...even if it sometimes feels like you're recreating the wheel.  

A picture of a quilt with the same pattern as it.

I started by sitting down with my EQ7 software and designing a mini quilt for our local Modern Quilt Guild.  We recently had our first silent auction event and mini quilt show (SO FUN!).  Then I printed templates onto cardstock for the EPP pieces and started thinking about my fabrics.  I had a great charm pack of Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids that I had been holding onto for over a year, and thought this would be a great opportunity to use it.  I traced and cut out my fabrics, and then had to pause when I selected my background fabric. 
A table with scissors and some paper cut outs

I knew I didn't want white, and I really like the effect black and white patterned fabrics have with solids.  So I auditioned a few different fabric choices--I really thought I wanted to go with a black and white stripe, but I opted for a more solid-reading print instead.  I pieced together a few of the DWR pieces and then placed them on top of my background fabric choices.  Pictured below is what I thought I was going to go with, but I instead selected a Tula Pink True Colors black and white print.  Because...Tula!!!

A black and white pattern with blue, green, and turquoise colored paper.

From the basic design in EQ7 (They already have the blocks drawn up...I just sized them to fit my needs), printing the cardstock, then cutting the fabrics, I got to take a breath and piece in my leisure time.  HA.  Leisure time...You know what I mean.  The semi-quiet moments in the house when my hair wasn't on fire ;)

A colorful paper strip with a pattern of circles.

Then I loaded the mini on my longarm and did some simple stitch in the ditch around the wedding rings and some loopy swirl combos on the black and white background that blend nicely.  It may seem kind of dumb to longarm a mini quilt, since you need a little bit more backing fabric than you would if you were to quilt it on a domestic, but I figured I paid for that huge machine and I'm going to get my money's worth!  Plus, I had just taken a fresh quilt off of the frame, and I had to take advantage of it before I loaded my next quilt.  It made for a slightly quicker finish than if I'd done it on the domestic sewing machine.
A close up of the floor with colorful circles on it

I was thrilled with the results, and playing with the color gradation and high-contrast background was really a lot of fun.  But mostly, I was able to really enjoy the process and each step along the way.  I don't know about you, but from the day I started sewing, I've always eyed the double wedding ring quilts.  I'm not sure I have the patience at this point in my life to see a full-sized quilt through, so this mini quilt was the perfect opportunity for me to cross a DWR quilt off my quilting bucket list.  I had also never taken the time to hand piece curves before, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.  Really, I had built it up to be this super scary moment, when all you really need to do is take a little extra time and carefully mark the centers of each EPP piece prior to piecing it, and make sure you line the centers up while adjusting the curves.  

I hope your sewing adventures take you somewhere awesome this week, and try to slow down and enjoy the process behind what you're doing.  I know I really enjoy the projects where I can slow down a bit and take a break from the hustle and bustle of life.  Happy sewing friends!

Related posts

Enchanted EPP quilt

English Paper Piecing – by kustomkwilts

Enchanted EPP Quilt Pattern

Enchanted is one of my all time favorite English Paper Piecing Patterns! I first drew this pattern up a couple of years ago, and I have been having the most fun making adorable fussy cuts. I used all Ruby Star Society fabrics (multiple fabric designers) and a little of my old Cotton + Steel collection that I had been saving for just the right occassion. The great thing about Enchanted EPP is you can fussy cut as little or as MUCH as you want. You don't have to overdo it. the little prints will just sing and look so adorable in the gorgeous star layout. I'm beyond excited to finally share this pattern/kit with you to see how you work your English Paper Piecing magic! Grab your Enchanted EPP Pattern and Kits here! more Here are some of my absolute favorite Enchanted EPP quilt blocks: The Enchanted EPP pattern includes these features: Clear instructions and fabric requirements (calculated in solids) Coloring pages to help plan your quilt Yardage requirements (solids) that aren't usually included in EPP patterns-along with considerations for fussy cutting Step-by-Step instructions with pictures to guide you through Instructions and diagrams for piecing quilt backs for each size Pattern includes printable templates for easy cutting in the pattern supplement The option to purchase acrylic templates, making fussy cutting a breeze Basting diagram so your seams spin and nest perfectly Printable fussy cutting templates (this is especially useful if you are overseas and want to avoid shipping acrylic templates) Options to make THREE different sizes: 45" x 57", 65" x 75" and 86" x 93", along with the option to easily customize the size The option to print and cut your own papers to keep your project economical BACKGROUND FABRIC KITS Low volume bundle for background fabrics of Enchanted EPP--some fabrics may vary in each kit, but all are quilt shop quality (HIGH quality) cotton quilting fabric Fabric kits are available for this quilt for the "low volume" creamy/white and dark and navy background fabrics of the Enchanted EPP quilt. Due to the large amount of different fabrics I used in the sample for the quilt pattern cover, I am not curating a full fabric kit at this time. I will say that I found a fat quarter to be sufficient in almost every instance that I needed a fabric, even when fussy cutting. That may not necessarily be true when using fabrics with larger scale prints or bigger repeats. But I found that with Ruby Star Society fabrics, the scale and size of the repeats gave me ample opportunities for fussy cutting. My favorite English Paper Piecing Accessories Precision glue tip to transform regular glue sticks into fine line applicators Richard Hemming & Sons Milliners Needles (sizes 10 & 11) Thimble It Stickers Poke A Dot Sticker thimbles A Precision Art Knife from OLFA to prevent cutting too much fabric when fussy cutting These cute travel snips The dreaded seam ripper but if you have to have one, this one is the best! Glide 60 wt. thread for piecing. Everyone has their own thread fav. for EPP. This one is mine. Thread Gloss You can see lots of blocks I've cut for my Enchanted EPP Quilt by heading over to Instagram. You can search the hashtag #EnchantedEPP to see the awesome blocks, and even blocks in progress! These blocks are also a great scrap buster, if you aren't overly concerned with fussy cutting.

Read more

A colorful quilt with the word divination in front.

English Paper Piecing – by kustomkwilts

Divination EPP Quilt Pattern

I'm so thrilled to finally have my Divination EPP quilt pattern out in the world! I am such a huge fan of 8-pointed stars that I knew I wanted my next pattern to be composed primarily of that shape. English paper piecing is such a wonderfully fun past time, and I really had so much fun picking fabrics and fussy cutting each of these blocks. This pattern looks deceptively intricate, but each fussy cut print is paired with a "blender" fabric that reads as a solid, so it simplifies the fabric selection quite a bit. It's a great confident beginner project for those familiar with EPP, but not ready to pair complex fabrics together for each and every block. more I have been looking at my out of print fabric stash for quite a while now, and I LOVE using that fabric up. I want to use up every crumb and enjoy those fabrics in quilts and usable projects. The Divination EPP Quilt is a great way to use up those long hoarded fabrics without regret. Many of these prints are so fun to fussy cut, especially with the help of Magic Mirrors to show you a preview of what the kaleidoscope effect will look like BEFORE you do the cutting! You can see each and every block I've cut for my Divination EPP Quilt by heading over to Instagram. You can search the hashtag #DivinationEPP to see the awesome blocks! The Divination EPP pattern includes these features: Clear instructions and fabric requirements (calculated in solids, but also includes a supplement with an exact diagram with specific fabrics used in the cover quilt and requirements for those fabrics)) Coloring page to help plan your quilt Yardage requirements that aren't usually included in EPP patterns Step-by-Step instructions with pictures to guide you through Instructions and diagrams for piecing quilt backs Pattern includes printable templates for easy cutting The option to purchase acrylic templates, making fussy cutting a breeze Basting diagram so your seams spin and nest perfectly Printable fussy cutting templates (this is especially useful if you are overseas and want to avoid shipping acrylic templates) Fussy cutting diagram to illustrate exactly how to cut the Tiny Stripes prints Fussy cutting diagram to illustrate exactly how to cut the striped stars, along with alternative layout Options to make THREE different sizes Expanded size assembly layouts for the 61" x 82" and 82" square larger quilt options Printable papers Fabric Kits You can purchase a stripe bundle that will get you going on all of those smaller starbursts here. And you can get Ultimate Tula Pink Rainbow bundles here to coordinate with each fussy cut star in the top. Ultimate Tula Pink Rainbow Bundle Ultimate Tula Pink Stripes Bundle Fussy Cutting? What's that? Divination Fussy cutting acrylic templates Fussy cutting is one of my favorite things to do. And the Divination EPP pattern is made for fussy cutting! You basically take a fabric and look at the print on it. You decide what part of the print you want to show in your piecing and determine where your seam allowance will fall. A great way to look at this is with a set of Magic Mirrors to show how the pattern will repeat if you cut so many of the same print. I like to place the Magic Mirrors directly on top of the seam line of my fussy cutting template (that way, the angle is perfect) and move them on top of the fabric to see the different possibilities for fussy cutting. Fussy cutting preview with mirrors Once you decide on the area of the print that you like, you use the acrylic templates to fussy cut the print so it creates a new and unique repeat. Half the fun is turning the pieces in opposite directions to see how much of a difference you can get from one print! Below are some great samples of fussy cutting turned into Divination EPP blocks. New to English Paper Piecing? That's okay too. I've got you covered with a basic EPP video where I tell you about all my favorite tools, tips, and tricks for getting started with EPP. I've also got one on my favorite basting method  I'm team glue basting all the way. There are tons of different supplies, methods, etc. and every single EPP-er seems to have some pretty strong opinions about which method and what supplies they prefer. English paper piecing is a fun way to take a project with you, and I invite you to explore the different methods and find the one that you like the best! My favorite English Paper Piecing Accessories Precision glue tip to transform regular glue sticks into fine line applicators Richard Hemming & Sons Milliners Needles (sizes 10 & 11) Thimble It Stickers Poke A Dot Sticker thimbles A Precision Art Knife from OLFA to prevent cutting too much fabric when fussy cutting These cute travel snips The dreaded seam ripper but if you have to have one, this one is the best! Gutermann thread for piecing. Everyone has their own thread fav. for EPP. This one is mine.

Read more

Hexie EPP stocking pattern and hex templates

English Paper Piecing – by kustomkwilts

Hexie EPP Stocking Pattern

The Hexie EPP Stocking Pattern is finally here! This is a perfect pattern for a quick finish, and it saves time and fabric by not having to fussy cut. I designed these stockings to have a similar look to the cute Buffalo Plaid that has a more clean and modern Christmas-y look, but with hexagons. The pattern details how to make the stocking using the 3-color solids, or for a more fun look, a 6-color solid multicolor stocking. Using solids eliminates the need to spend tons of extra time fussy cutting, and you can use the stack and cut method to cut multiple hexies out at once. I think the most I was able to cut at one time was 8 pieces. more This pattern includes: Detailed instructions for solids: 3-colors or 6-colors or fussy cut your own pieces Pattern includes Youtube tutorial sew along to assemble the stocking finished stocking measures 6" wide at top x 14" tall X 11" wide heel to toe, complete with hanging loop Blank coloring sheet to design your own colorway or plan for fussy cutting Fabric requirements for the 3 and 6 color stockings Detailed cutting diagrams Full color diagrams and step outs Stocking template Printed pattern version includes a full sheet of hexie papers for you to copy and cut out yourself, should you choose PDF version includes a printable sheet of hexie papers So many options! Kits for the Hexie EPP Stockings: Find the perfect kit for you! These solid stockings are curated in the perfect shades of Tula Pink solids by FreeSpirit. Grab the color that fits you, or make an entire fabulous rainbow gradient to fill your mantle! If you aren't a fan of fabric kits, you can also grab your own acrylic fussy cutting template and precut EPP papers to save you a little time. Or cut your own hexies with the papers that are included in the PDF or the printed pattern. Both options have a printed OR printable paper Hexie fussy cutting template. Customizing your stocking You can choose to quilt your stocking with fun hand quilting, easy domestic machine quilting with simple straight lines, or pick a fun pantograph and throw it on the longarm for a bit of punch! Alternatively, you don't have to quilt the stocking at all and the inside is fully lined to protect all the seams. Pattern instructions include a hanging loop. Orange Peel Quilting Honeycomb Panto Night Light panto Simple free motion quilting Rainbow hearts panto Baptist fan panto Bountiful Feathers panto I'm so excited to finally share this pattern with you. I feel like I have been working on it for years and perfecting each version so it will bring you SO much joy when you make it. I hope you'll share your makes with me using #HexieEPPStocking . Thanks for reading, friend, and happy sewing!!

Read more

Geometric hexagonal cubes with colorful floral designs

English Paper Piecing – by kustomkwilts

Spellbound EPP - a magical quilt pattern

My labor of love (aside from longarming) this year has been the Spellbound EPP pattern! When Tula Pink released her black and white line called Linework, I knew I wanted to make something really special with it. I love black and white fabrics and adding a pop of color to them really sets them apart. I've had a blast on this journey picking the fabrics and fussy cutting different elements of each fabric to make it shine. The Spellbound quilt pattern will be available this Friday, October 29! more I am a little bit of a mover and a shaker. You know what I mean--I'm one of those people that can't stand to just sit idle and not do anything. If you're here, and reading this, you might have this problem too ;) . If I have some free time and a free set of hands, you better believe I've got some EPP prepped and ready to go. Aside from longarm quilting (which I do almost all day), EPP is my favorite way to pass the time. I always have a little EPP kit in my purse so that if I'm caught waiting at the doctor's office, or getting my car inspected, or whatever, I always have a little something to keep me busy AND productive (I posted a list of my favorites at the end of this post). I hate wasting so much time on my phone when I could be sewing something, right!? It's such a convenient way to pack a little sewing kit and get things done when you otherwise couldn't. I love the portability and convenience of EPP, and my daughter Gemma has even helped me finish a few stitches. You can see a ton of my Spellbound EPP shares by heading over to Instagram. The Spellbound EPP pattern includes these features: Clear instructions and fabric requirements (calculated in solids so you have a baseline for how much fabric you need) Coloring page to help plan your quilt Yardage requirements that aren't usually included in EPP patterns Step-by-Step instructions with pictures to guide you through Instructions and diagrams for piecing quilt backs Pattern includes printable templates for easy cutting The option to purchase acrylic templates, making fussy cutting a breeze Fussy Cutting? What's that? Fussy cutting acrylic templates Fussy cutting is one of my favorite things to do. And the Spellbound EPP pattern is made for fussy cutting! You basically take a fabric and look at the print on it. You decide what part of the print you want to show in your piecing and determine where your seam allowance will fall. A great way to look at this is with a set of two mirrors taped together to show how the pattern will repeat if you cut so many of the same print. Fussy cutting preview with mirrors Once you decide on the area of the print that you like, you use the acrylic templates to fussy cut the print so it creates a new and unique repeat. Half the fun is turning the pieces in opposite directions to see how much of a difference you can get from one print! The images below show the same 6 pieces cut out--just rotated in a different way. What an impact that makes! Fussy cut pieces with the hearts rotated inwards vs. hearts rotated outwards New to English Paper Piecing? That's okay too. I've got you covered with a basic EPP video where I tell you about all my favorite tools, tips, and tricks for getting started with EPP. I've also got one on my favorite basting method I'm team glue basting all the way. There are tons of different supplies, methods, etc. and every single EPP-er seems to have some pretty strong opinions about which method and what supplies they prefer. English paper piecing is a fun way to take a project with you, and I invite you to explore the different methods and find the one that you like the best! My favorite English Paper Piecing Accessories Richard Hemming & Sons Milliners Needles (sizes 10 & 11) Thimble It Stickers These cute travel snips The dreaded seam ripper...but if you have to have one, this one is the best! Gutermann thread for piecing. Everyone has their own thread fav. for EPP. This one is mine :) Needle threader- yes it will even thread the size 11s and thread cutter Super cute project bag to haul my loot around in

Read more

Turquoise fabric with lime triangular pattern

English Paper Piecing – by kustomkwilts

Trippy Triangles Quilt pattern release

I'm stoked to finally introduce to you the Trippy Triangles Quilt pattern! This quilt has been a pet project of mine for the last year (and then some). From picking just the right fabrics--I changed my fabrics several times before I finally got with it stitching--to fussy cutting, etc. and I've loved every minute of it. I'm currently working on another version and planning yet another with some fun fussy cutting :) The thing with EPP Here's the thing with English Paper Piecing: It's an obsession of mine. Aside from longarm quilting (which I do almost all day), EPP is my favorite way to pass the time. I always have a little EPP kit in my purse so that if I'm caught waiting at the doctor's office, or getting my car inspected, or whatever, I always have a little something to keep me busy AND productive. I hate wasting so much time on my phone when I could be sewing something, right!? It's such a convenient way to pack a little sewing kit and get things done when you otherwise couldn't. more New to English Paper Piecing? That's okay too. I've got you covered with a basic EPP video where I tell you about all my favorite tools, tips, and tricks for getting started with EPP. I've also got one on my favorite basting method --I'm team glue basting all the way ;) And there's another video tutorial with the pattern that shows you how to sew the pieces together if you haven't done that before. I just love this funky geometric twist on EPP and I can't wait to see how you fussy cut (or not) and make this your own! Trippy Triangles was shown at QuiltCon 2020, and was a featured quilt in the QuiltCon magazine (among some other AMAZING quilts!) Another fun version I'm currently stitching up in Michael Miller Cotton Couture + MM Stripes The Trippy Triangles Pattern includes these features: Clear instructions and fabric requirements for baby and throw quilt sizes (is easily modified for other sizes) Coloring page to help plan your quilt Yardage requirements that aren't usually included in EPP patterns Step-by-step instructions with pictures to guide you through Instructional videos with great tips Instructions and diagrams for piecing quilt backs Pattern includes printable templates for easy cutting The option to purchase acrylic templates separately You can check out some of the cool tester photos and the fabrics they've picked below: Erica's basted pieces @ericamitche11 Erica's fabric pull @ericamitche11 Hannah's Trippy Triangles @hanni.made Debra's scrappy Liberty TT @debra.lou Joanna's fabric pull @kustomkwilts Allison's fabric pull @amadesignsembroidery Sherri's TT @flip_flop_angel

Read more

A person is sewing the fabric on a bikini top.

English Paper Piecing – by kustomkwilts

How to English Paper Piece - sewing pieces together

How to English paper piece In this series of blog posts, I've talked about start up supplies (what my favorites are) and discussed glue basting (also my favorite). Now that you know how to prepare for sewing, lets get going! In this video, I'll show you how I sew my paper pieces together once they're basted. There are many, many ways to accomplish this. I'm showing my favorite methods, in case you haven't seen them before, in the hopes of inspiring you to try new things! There are different kinds of stitches you can use to sew the pieces together. My go to is a simple whip stitch, but I've heard people rave about the flat back stitch. I tried the flat back stitch, and it wasn't for me--but you might love it (so def. check it out!). Sewing the pieces together more To knot...or not? I'm probably in the minority when I say I don't tie many knots while I'm EPPing. To start my stitches, I'll sew a few stitches in place and make sure they're snug and right on top of each other, rather than knotting. Ending, however, is a different story. I do tend to knot my thread consistently when my thread runs out or I get the the end of a piece and need to break thread. I also prefer to not tie knots in the end of my thread...simply because I'm lazy. After all the EPPing I've done, I'm confident my stitches are secure and I'm not too worried about breaking seams or threads coming undone. Find what you like and what works for you and go with it! And don't let anyone else try to tell you that your way is wrong. I like to share the methods I use, but that doesn't mean it's the only way. This is your journey, and you've got to find your own way. https://youtu.be/E_B9lLsfZ2o For the love of EPP I'm so excited for you to start your EPP journey (or maybe you're already on it), and I'd love to hear about some of your favorite projects and see what you've made! Here are a few of my favorites, and works in progress: My "Quilt" using the letter Q from Whole Circle Studio's Typecast of characters pattern Above is the Letter "Q" I EPPed for Sheri's blog tour and then made into a small wall hanging with some quilted ghost letters. These letters are so much fun to stitch and incorporate into projects. You can see more of Sheri's work at Whole Circle Studio. Trippy Triangles Above is some of the piecing I did for my Trippy Triangles pattern (soon to be released). I love the modern look of this pattern and it will be one I recreate over and over again with different fabrics. My never ending scrap buster project Above is my never ending scrap buster project that I stitch occasionally when I've got leftover fabrics. There isn't a pattern for this one that I've sewn--I just drew up some little pieces and cut them out by hand to piece this together on the run. So now that I've shown you mine, I'd love to see some of your projects! What are you working on? Or if you're new to EPP, what are some EPP projects you've been eyeing? Drop me a comment or post your project on instagram and tag me @kustomkwilts :) Happy sewing!

Read more